[Gluten Free City Guide – San Francisco, CA]

March 6, 2016

Our friend Jodi (check her out at @glutenfreetraveler) was coming into town for the weekend and after a quick spin for pre-dinner snacks at the super market…I realized how hard something usually so easy for me suddenly was. Jodi, who is celiac, found out as an adult and says it’s pretty easy once you know what might have gluten in it or not. But from where I was standing, anything from sausages to sauces were a potential pitfall. So, inspired by her visit here are some of the best gluten-free places we included in our food tour. What would a tour of the city be without a few suggestions for some sight seeing outings as well! So….those are in there too! Disclaimer: As we were on the go most of this weekend and near water, it was an iPhoneography kindof adventure. Sorry, DSLR.

Where to eat:

#1: Mariposa Bakery

All of these things are gluten free, hello croissants! [photo via Jodi]

Said Cinnamon Buns in the Ferry Building, yum!

Testing out my new iphone fisheye lens

Home to the “fluffiest” ever cinnamon bun, this one dissipared even faster than anticipated. It was hard for Ben and I not to eat Jodi’s food. We actually made two trips here since they had run out the day before.

#2: Little Chihuaha

Often there is one, maybe two gluten free options and that involves piecing together components of an app and an entree. Here, you can turn any burrito into a gluten free one as they offer a gluten free tortilla option. Go on, get down with your bean self. (I know, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that…I am clearly sleep deprived)

#3: Patxi’s

Say it with me “pahhhh- cheeese”. Welcome to Patxi’s home of various pizzas. To whoever says San Francisco doesn’t have good pizza, I say, I certainly haven’t found a bagel but boy can I name some good pizza places. We opted for an arugula and prosciutto topped gluten free pizza. It was crunchy and delicious.

Alternatives:

Some other options we didn’t make it to but came highly recommended and could even top this list:

Where to go:

Here is our one day round up of some of the places we love to take visitors.

Morning: Farmer’s Market at the Ferry Building

Go with: Corner near the far left end and make your way around the building.

Where: Ferry Building

One of my favorite stands at the Farmer’s Market, the lavender stand

Tulips, butternut squash and of course it is citrus season

Mushrooms of course, these are always here but felt they should be included

Our favorite picks are generally the flowers. You can get tulips with the bulbs still on them. Also we highly recommend the coffee from outposts like Sight glass and Craftsman and Wolves that show up on weekends. If you have the time to grocery shop, there are always fresh seasonal fruits and they are generally really reasonably priced.

This is our favorite company to go out with, you can usually find a deal (plan for tips at the end) and take a beautiful two hour sail on a catamaran. You go out to the bay with some help from a motor but then open up the sails. The ride includes drinks and the best part is that you really have a front row seat to the water no matter where you sit on the boat. Even though they are quite mean you can slowly glide by and spot sea lions.

Late Afternoon: Coastal Trail Hike

Go with: sneakers, no hiking shoes needed. Stellar views guaranteed.

Where: We start in the Presidio and make our way until we reach the Sutro Baths

Hello trail!

Good day for a hike

Almost at the Sutro Baths [photo by Jodi]

You can make this a 2 or up to 9 mile hike. It is really easy and beautiful. The best way to get someone to see all the beautiful scenery that San Francisco has to offer. Make sure to stop at the Labyrinth and Sutro Baths at the end.

Great weekend and feel free to message me if you need a few more places or ideas!

As a recap – eat, eat, eat and walk it off

Set sail, doesn’t matter if it’s Sausalito, Treasure Island or just around the Bay

And make lots of memories while visitors are in town, tiring for your feet but not for your heart!

I started this blog a few years ago, needing a bit of a creative outpost for my new DSLR’s photos to land. Since then it has become a bit of a captain’s log of adventures I’ve had in NYC and as a new transplant to San Francisco.

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About Me

I started this blog a few years ago, needing a bit of a creative outpost for my new DSLR’s photos to land. Since then it has become a bit of a captain’s log of adventures I’ve had in NYC and as a new transplant to San Francisco. Although it started as a bit of a joke in the early stages of my career, “Findling’s Finds” is what my coworkers would shout when I found some cool nugget of information. I’m now re purposing it to share my food and travel finds.
Ready, set, (pack your carry on) go!
Deborah